Feed mechanism for strip, rod, wire, and like material



March 31, 1931- c. A. DREISBACH FEED MECHANISM FOR STRIP, ROD, WIRE, ANDLIKE MATERIAL Filed June 4, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet March 31, 1931. c. A.DREISBACH FEED MECHANISM FOR STRIP, ROD, WIRE, AND LIKE MATERIAL F'iledJune 4, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 31, 1931.

c. A. DREISBACH 1,798,316

FEED MECHANISM FOR STRIP ROD, WIRE, AND LIKE MATERIAL Filed June 4, 19295 Sheets-Sheet 5 March 31, 193']. c. A. DREISBACH' FEED MECHANISM FORSTRIP, ROD, WIRE, AND LIKE MATERIAL Filed June 4, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 4March 31, 1931. c A, DRESBACH 1,798,316

FEED MECHANISM FOR STRIP, ROD, WIRE, AND LIKE MATERIAL Filed June 4,1929 v 5 SheetsSheet 5 MYW Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT;"OFFICE CHARLES A. DREISBACH, OF

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO S TANDARD RADIAL BLAST CORPORATION,OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FEED MECHANISM FOR STRIP, ROD, WIRE, AND LIKE MATERIAL Application fliedJune 4, 1929. Serial No. 368,419.

This invention relates to an improvement in mechanisms for feedingstrip, rod, wire and like material through various types of machines forsubjecting them to treatment, such as sand-scouring, etc.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a reliable andeffective feeding-mechanism which may be readily thrown into and out ofaction. 1

A further object of my invention is to provide a feed-mechanism of thetype referred to in which means is provided for automatically lockingthe strip, etc., against movement when the grip of the feeding-mechanismupon the stock is released.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in afeed-mechanism having certain details of construction and combinationsof parts as will be hereinafter described and particularly recited inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of my"improved feed-mechanism, showing the stock-pulling unit mounted at oneend of a sand-scouring machine and the control-unit mounted at theopposite end;

Fig. 2 is a top or plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a broken longitudinalsectional view through the control-unit takenon the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3*- is a sectional View through one of the controlling-valvemechanisms showing the parts in the positions due them when the valve ismoved into position to stop the feeding of the particular stripcontrolled by it;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the stock-pulling unittaken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view through the stock-pulling unittaken on the line 66 of Fig. 5; I

Fig. 7 is a detached perspective View of 011p1 of the guide-plates ofthe pulling-unit; an

Fig. 8 is a detached erspective view of one of the resser-roll slldestogether .with its resser-roll.

pair of vertically-arranged In the embodiment of my invention hereinchosen for illustration I employ a relatively-widerelatively-large-diameter pulling-roll 1O located between theupstandingarms 11 and 12 of'a frame 13 and mounted upon a transversedrive-shaft 14 rotatin in bearings 15 and 16 respectively locat at. theupper ends of the frame-arms 11 and 12 aforesaid.

Directly above the pulling-roll 10 I mount, with capacity for verticalmovement, a plurality (eight being shown) of presser-roll slidesgenerally designated by the numeral 17 and since they all correspond,a-description of one of them and its associated parts will serve forall.

Each presser-roll slide comprises a central spacing-plate 18 and havingriveted to its respective opposite sides relatively-thin sheetmetalside-plates 19 and 20. The spacingplate 18 is cut away to form a pair ofdownwardly-opening notches 2l21 in each of which is positioned apresser-roll 22 mounted upon a short shouldered-shaft 23 hearing at itsreduced ends in the side-plates 19 and 20 75 and mounting ball-bearingunits 24 to permit the free rotation of the said Presser-rolls.

At their forward ends each of the corresponding Presser-roll slides 17is entered into one of a series of vertical guide-slots 25 80 formed ina transverse front guide-plate 26 extending transversely thereacrossbetween a skeletonized frame-extensions 28 and 29 upstandingrespectively from the arms 11 and 12 of the 5 frame 13 proper. The rearend of each of the said slides is entered into one of a correspondingseries of guide-slots 25 formed in a rear guide-plate 27 mounted attherear end of the frame and extends crosswise between the extensions 28and'29 aforesaid.

For the purpose of pressing each of the presser-roll slides 17 downwardso as to cause the two complementary Presser-rolls 22 thereof to engagethe upper face of one of a series of strips 30 and press the samedownward against the periphery of the pullingroll 10, I locate directlyabove each of the said slides 17 a pair of complementaryverticallyarranged piston-rods 3131 respectively ex- 100 tendingdownward from pistons 32 and 32 reciprocating in cylinder-tubes 33 and33 respectively. The said cylinder-tubes 33 and 33* are seated at theirvlower and upper ends respectively and extending vertically between alower bridge-plate 34 and an upper bridge-plate 35 mounted at the upperends of the frame-extensions 28 and 29 and held in spaced relationshipby spacer-blocks 36.

The lower ends of the piston-rods 31 and 31 bear upon the upper edge ofthat particular presser-roll slide lying directly beneath them and areconcurrently actuated to exert downward pressure by compressed airentering the upper end of their cylinder-tubes 33 and 33 through ports37 which pass vertically through a horizontally-arranged cylinderhead-plate 38 clamped upon the upper face of a gasket 39 positioned uponthe upper face of the bridge-plate 35 before referred to.

The ports 37 just above referred to of each pair of cylinders havescrewed into them pipes 40,.the upper ends of both of which areconnected into a compressed-air pipe 41 leading rearwardly over asand-scouring or other machine generally designated by the numeral 42and forming in itself no part of my present invention and thereforerequiring no detailed description herein.

For the purpose of raising each of the several Presser-roll slides 17 soas to free the strip of stock pinched bet-ween the rolls 22 and theupper surface of the pulling-roll 10, I extend the opposite ends of theside-plates 19 and 20 of each of the said slides outward beyond itsspacing-plate 18 so as to form at each of the opposite ends of the saidslide 'a pair of cars 43 and 43 respectively. Between the pairs of ears43 and 43 thus provided, I respectively couple by means of transversepins 44 vertical lifting-rods 45 and 45 extending upward throughguide-passages 46 in a cross-head 47 extending between theframe-extensions 28 and 29. Each of the lifting-rods 45 and 45 isencircled by a helical spring 48 resting at its lower end upon the upperface of the cross-head 47 and at its upper end bearing against theunderface of a spring-seat 49 held in place upon the said lifting-rodsby pins 50.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I provide a plurality ofpresser-roll slides, each of which carries a pair of presser-rollsforced downward for pinching the strips 30 between the said rolls andthe pulling-roll 10 by a pair of pistons 32 and 32" and is lifted upwardto disengage the said rolls from the stock when the compressed air isturned off, as will hereinafter appear, by a pair of lifting-rods 45 and45".

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and as previously pointed out, thestock-pulling unit is located at the exit-end of the machine 42,whatever the nature of the latter may be, so as to pull the stocktherethrough. It is desirable,

however, to have the attendant stand at the left-hand or entry-end ofthe machine so as to observe the feeding-in of the strip-stock 30 and beable to control the stock-pulling unit from this point.

The compressed-air pipes 41, one of which is provided for feedingcompressed air to the pair of pistons of each presser-roll slide, areextended over the machine, as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 1, andeach is threaded into a cross-bar 51 extending crosswise between a pairof complementary bracket-arms 52-52 offsetting from the left-hand end ofthe scouring-machine 42.

In line with the open end of each of the pipes 41 the cross-bar 51 isformed with a vertical passage 53 intersecting a radial port 54 formedin the periphery of each of a series of horizontal valve-tubes 55 havingits right hand end passing through the cross-bar 51 and its left-handend supported in a second cross-bar 56 extending between the brackets52-52 and formed with a longitudinal horizontally-arranged air-supplypassage 57 havin g a plurality of vertical air-supply passages 58leading downward from it and respectively intersecting an air-inlet port59 formed in each of the valve-tubes 55 aforesaid.

Reciprocating within each of the valvetubes 55 above referred to is aslide-valve consisting of a rod 60 having its inner end 61 reduced indiameter (Fig. and mounting near each of its respective opposite ends apair of cup-washers 62 spaced apart by a spacing-sleeve 63, which latteris of less diameter than the internaldiameter of the valvetube 55, so asto provide a longitudinal airpassage.

The outer end of each of the corresponding valve-rods 60 has pivoted toit a pair of links 64. the outer ends of which latter are pivotallyconnected to an oscillating controllever 65 constituting one of acorresponding series (one for each valve) and mounted for oscillationupon a transverse shaft 66 extending laterally between the brackets52-52 near the outer ends thereof.

lVith the valves in the positions shown in Fig. 3, compressed airentering the air-supply passage 57 from a laterally-extendingsupply-pipe 67 will blow through the vertical passage 58 and port 59 ofeach valve-tube 55 and from left to right through the latter and outwardthrough the port 54, vertical passage 53 and that particular pipe 41which is controlled by the valve in question into the upper end of thepair of c vlind er-tubes 33 and 33*, so as to exert a downward pressureupon the pistons therein and force the presserrolls of the givenpresser-roll slide 17 into engagement with the strip-stock 30, so as tocause the pulling-roll 10 to pull the particular strip lengthwisethrough the scouring or other machine 42 for treatment thereby.

For the purpose of clamping any given one of the plurality of stripswhen its particular pair of resser-rolls 22 are thrown out of action soas to halt its movement, I form the lower en d of each of the levers 65with an eccentrically-curved gripping-cam 68 which engages the upperface of that strip 30 lying beneath it, to crampit against ananvil-block 69 when the said lever 65 is moved into the position inwhich it is shown by broken lines in Fig. 3 to effect the shutting-offof the supply of compressed air to the particular pair of pistons 32 and32 which control the pulling through of the strip.

The anvil-block 69 just referred to has ca pacity for verticaladjustment and extends transversely beneath the series of strips 30 andis guided in a guide-fixture 70 secured at its respective opposite endsto the inner faces of the brackets 52-52, and is formed with alongitudinal upwardly-opening guide-groove 71 into which the saidanvil-block 69 is set. One or more vertically-arranged adjustmentscrews72 threaded into the bottom-wall of the guide-fixture 70 and engagingthe underface of the anvil-block 69 provided for the vertical adjustmentof the latter to compensate for different thicknesses of stock 30 andfor wear.

In the use of my improved feeding-mechanism. when the operator wishes tostop the feeding of any one of the plurality of strips 30, passingthrough the scouring machine 42. for any reason, such for instance as toattach another strip to the end thereof, he will swing the particularlever 65 above the strip in ques tion from the position shown by fulllines in Fig. 3 into the position shown by broken lines in the samefigure.

The described movement of the lever 65 will cause the cam 68 thereof toengage and pinch the strip against the end of the block 69 andsimultaneously move the valve-rod connected to it from right to leftinto the position shown in Fig. 3, thereby preventing the further flowof compressed air upward through the pipe 41 and permitting the airalready in it to exhaust outward through an exhaust-port 7 3 extendingaxially through a bushing 74 threaded into the inner end of each of thevalve-tubes 55.

As soon as the air is allowed to escape from the pipe 41 outward throughthe port 73, the lifting-springs 48 of the presser-roll slide 17 locatedabove the strip 30 in question, will be enabled to assert themselves andlift the presscr-rolls 22 out of engagement with the strip and thusrelieve it of the draft of the continuously-rotating pulling-roll 10.

IVhcn it is desired to have the particular strip resume its passagethrough the scouringmachine 42, the lever before referred to is swungback into the position in which it is shown by full lines in Fig. 3. sothat the grip of the cam 68 is released and compressed air again appliedto the upper end of the pistons 32 and 32", so as to force the stripinto en'- gagement with the pulling-roll 10 and .thus cause it to resumeits movement.

I claim:

'1. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with apulling-roll; of one or more roll-carriers mounted adjacent thepulling-roll: one or more presser-rolls rotatably mounted in the saidcarrier and positioned to force material to be fed into engagement withthe said pulling-roll; spring-means nor mally urging the saidpresser-roll away from the said pulling-roll; and fluid-pressure meansincluding one or more cylinders and pistons constructed and arranged toovercome the said spring-means and move the said presser-roll toward thesaid pulling-roll to grip the said stock therebetween.

2. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with apulling-roll; of one or more roll-carriers mounted adjacent thepulling-roll: one or more presser-rolls rotatably mounted in the saidcarrier and positioned to force material to be fed into engagement withthe said pulling-roll; springmeans normally urging the said presser-rollaway from the said pulling-roll; fluid-pressure means including one ormore cylinders and pistons constructed and arranged to overcome the saidspring-means and move the said pressenroll toward the said pulling-rollto grip the said stock therebetween; and a valvemechanism connected tothe said cylinder and constructed to admit fluid under pressurethereinto when in one position and when in another position toautomatically shut off the supply of such fluid and permit the escape offluid from the said cylinder.

3. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with apulling-roll; one or more reciprocating slides mounted adjacent the saidpulling-roll; guides engaging the opposite edges of the said slides; oneor more presser-rolls rotatably mounted in the said slide and positionedto force the material to be fed into engagement with the saidpullingroll; spring-means normally urging the said slide away from thesaid pulling-roll; and fluid-pressure means including one or morecylinders and pistons acting through the said slide to overcome the saidspring-means and move the said presser-roll toward the said pulling-rollto grip the stock therebetween.

4. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with apulling-roll; of one or more plate-like presser-roll slides formed withapair of roll-receiving recesses and providcd near each of its oppositeends with ears; guides for the said slides; a pair of Presser-rollsrotatably mounted in the rollreceiving recesses in the said slide andpositioned to force the material to be fed into engagement with the saidpullingroll; a pair of retracting-rods respectively connected to theears of the said slide; spring-means acting through the saidretracting-rods to move the said slide away from the said pulling-roll;and fluid-pressure means including one or more cylinders and pistonsacting through the said slide to overcome the said springmeans and movethe said presser-roll toward the said pulling-roll to grip the stocktherebetween.

5. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination witha'pulling-roll; of one or more reciprocating slides mounted adjacent thesaid pulling-roll; a pair of presserrolls mounted in the said slide inposition to force the material to be fed into engagement with the saidpulling-roll; spring-means coupled to each of the opposite ends of thesaid slide and exerting an efiort to move the said slide away from thesaid pulling-roll; and fluid-pressure ineans including one or morecylinders and pistons acting through the said slide to overcome the saidspring-means and move the said presser-roll toward the said pulling-rollto grip the stock therebetween.

6. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with apulling-roll; of one or more roll-carriers mounted adjacent thepulling-roll; one or more resser-rolls rotatably mounted in the saidcarrier and positioned to force the material to be fed into engagementwith the said pulling-roll; fluid-pressure means including one or morecylinders and pistons constructed and arranged to move the saidpresser-roll toward the said pulling-roll to grip the stocktherebetween; a controlvalve for the said fluid-pressure means; andmeans brought into play when the said fluidpressure means is renderedinactive by the said control-valve for retiring the said rollcarriersand Presser-rolls.

7. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with apulling-roll; of one or more roll-carriers mounted adjacent thepulling-roll; one or more presser-rolls rotatably mounted in saidcarrier and positioned to force material to be fed into engagement withthe said pulling-roll; fluid-pressure means including one or morecylinders and pistons constructed and arranged to move the saidpresser-roll toward the said pulling-roll to grip the stocktherebetween; and a control-valve for the said fluid-pressure meansconsisting of a housing formed with an inletport connected to a sourceof fluid-pressure, an outlet-port connected to the said fluidprcssuremeans. and an exhaust-port, and a movable member in said housing adaptedto connect the said inletand outlet-ports when in one position and toconnect the said outletand exhaust-ports when in another position.

8. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with apulling-roll; of a plurality of independeutly-movable roll-carriersmounted adjacent the said pulling-roll; a presser-roll rotatably mountedin each of the said carriers and positioned to force mate- CHARLES A.DREISBAOII.

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